Blame a lack of frequent flier miles.

The year we wanted to go to Europe, two free tickets in summer required 100,000 miles. In March, that total was just 70,000. For many of us, it takes a long time to close that gap. Call it March Madness: We spent 14 days in Italy and France.

How attractive is Paris in March? How cold is the wind off the water in Venice? A shortage of miles aside, why go?

The answer can be found in your pocketbook.


Astounding Airfares

Airlines sometimes cut the number of Trans-Atlantic routes they offer during the off-season, since there are fewer vacationers. But they still have seats to fill, and generally the way to populate those seats is to discount them.

One example: A few years ago, a late November round trip quote for January travel from Cincinnati to Berlin was $489. That was not a sale fare. It was an everyday quote found on a search engine. At the time, you easily could have paid nearly twice that amount in summer. Such a fare wouldn't be likely today, but a similar relationship between November and July fares is likely to exist.

In the recent past, British Airways offered round trip tickets for three-day shopping getaways between New York/Newark/Boston and London. The price includes airfare AND hotel AND a $50 USD voucher for shopping at Harrods. Total tab: $399 USD. As always, check the fine print on these specials to make certain the dates and requirements match up with your plans.

Did it take hours to uncover these deals?

No. The above offers were found within five minutes of entering our Airline Sites page and checking a couple of sites. The links here take you to "special offers" pages the airlines post. It's a good idea to check them throughout the year.

Airfare makes up a good bit of the final tab for any long trip. If you can take advantage of offers like this, you're well on the way to a budget travel success.

The benefits of off-season travel to Europe don't end when you leave the airport, either.

More information: Take a look at a simple seasonal comparison of prices and availability at a popular destination.

Back to main menu for Off Season Travel.